Short Essay Questions

1. What theme concerning the relationship between Morelli and Stephanie seems to be a thread in Hot Six?

2. What happens when Stephanie talks to Cynthia Lotte and what does this say about Stephanie?

3. Do you think it is right of Stephanie to ram Joyce's SUV with the Buick?

4. Why is Stephanie's grandma moving back to Stephanie's parents' home and what do you think is the implication?

5. What do you think Alexander means when he says Homer killed himself?

6. Stephanie manages to get to her gun and shoot Munson in the foot. It seems unlikely that Stephanie under the stress of the circumstances intentionally aims and shoots Munson in the foot. What is more likely to have happened is that she pointed the gun and pulled the trigger and it happened to hit Munson in the foot.

7. How does the situation with Mitchell and Habib and their dog napping demonstrate a narrative contrivance?

8. How does Stephanie obtain information about the Ramos family in her "own back yard" so to speak and how is this ironic?

9. How does Stephanie's relationship to Mitchell and Habib change in this section?

10. What does Ranger tell Stephanie when he stops her while she is out walking the dog and do you think Morelli had a hand in Ranger's decision?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Much of what happens in Hot Six can be considered farcical. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think is the meaning of the term "farcical" as applied to literature?

2. In what ways do you think Hot Six is farcical? Give specific examples in your discussion.

3. Why do you think Evanovich chooses to depict her protagonist in such a farcical manner at times?

Essay Topic 2

Stephanie's relationship to men is often laced with sexual innuendo. At the opening of the novel, Stephanie is wondering if her mother's worst fear has come true: she's a nymphomaniac, lusting after lots of men. Discuss the following:

1. What is the definition of nymphomaniac?

2. Is Stephanie truly a nymphomaniac? Why or why not?

3. Do you think Stephanie actually lusts after lots of men? Or just two men in particular?

4. Why do you think Stephanie is actually quite restrained in what she does with her feelings of attraction?

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the following to discuss:

1. Compare/contrast Joe Morelli to Ranger.

2. Compare/contrast the relationship of Joe to Stephanie to that of Ranger to Stephanie.

3. Compare/contrast the type of "community" in which Stephanie lives to your own.